Mar 14 (TM) SL’s domestic debt has increased by Rs. 177.6 billion (year-to-date), as maturities exceed Rs. 1.4 trillion with yields trending downward. The govt has settled Rs. 1.43 trillion of maturities as of 11 March so far in the year, while issuing Rs. 1.61 trillion, increasing the outstanding debt by Rs. 177.6 billion. Moreover, 3-month Treasury bill (T-bill) yield has decreased by 95 bps (year-to-date), while 6-month T-bill yield more..

Mar 14 (AD) The popular SL rapper and singer known as Shan Putha has been arrested by Homagama Police today for the possession of a 9mm firearm. According to police reports, a Police Constable attached to the Mannar Police and Shan Putha’s manager were also taken into custody in connection with the case. Investigations have revealed that the Police Constable in question had allegedly stolen the firearm from the Matara Kotuwila Police Station and provided it to the artist. more..

Mar 14 (Island) Four individuals, including former Director-General of Archaeology, Senarath Disanayake, and the chief Accountant of the Department of Archaeology, were indicted in the Colombo High Court on Monday for approving payments to a supplier who provided substandard bricks during the conservation work at the Deegavapi Chaithya in Digamadulla, Ampara. The charges include abuse of power for personal gain, fraudulent approval of payments, and more..

Mar 14 (NW) Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe will deliver a special statement on the Batalanda Commission Report on Sunday. According to a statement from the UNP Office, the former President will make a special revelation regarding the facts and recommendations of the report. Ranil Wickremesinghe’s special statement comes after Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Rathnayake tabled the Batalanda Commission Report in Parliament today. more..

Mar 14 (NW) Sri Lanka has been recognised for its Pekoe Trail in the Central Highlands in TIME Magazine’s list of the world’s 100 greatest places to visit in 2025. Writing for Time Magazine, Audrey Phoon has described the Pekoe Trail as offering hikers an intimate look at Sri Lanka’s diverse landscape and tea-entwined history. “Up in the SL highlands, a 19th-century transport network for tea is now conveying adventurers to remote communities and businesses. more..

Mar 14 (EN) State-run Ceylon Electricity Board is making the second tariff proposal of 2025 to submit to the regulator, Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody said as an IMF review looms.IMF has said SL was breaching a structural benchmark in the program after the regulator cut tariffs by 20 percent, which is likely to lead to losses by the utility and breaching a requirement for electricity to be cost-reflective. more..

Mar 14 (NW) An elephant that suffered a broken tusk after being hit by a lorry on the Habarana-Maradankadawala road recently was found this morning near a tank in the Labunoruwa area in the Thirappane DS. Following the accident, multiple teams from the Dept of Wildlife Conservation conducted a search operation to locate the injured elephant. Wildlife officers had discovered the injured animal resting near the tank earlier today and confirmed that elephant has rejoined its herd. more..

Mar 14 (CT) With the announcement of the Local Govt Elections, the Northern and Eastern provinces have begun rallying behind their preferred political parties, while also calling for unity among factions. The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), yesterday, paid the deposit in Jaffna for the upcoming Local Govt Election. ITAK General Secretary and President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran paid the deposit for 17 Local Govt councils in Jaffna at the Elections Office. more..

Mar 14 (EN) SL’s agricultural production in Dec-Jan saw a decrease in paddy, fish and coconut, while tea and rubber picked up. “Paddy production for the 2024/2025 Maha season, based on the sown extent as of end Dec 2024, is forecasted at 2.57 million metric tons, a 5.7% decline from the previous Maha season,” data showed. However, the paddy production forecast for the 2024 Yala season, based on more..

Mar 14 (TM) Ministry of Public Security is in the process of equipping special crime investigation bureaus, which are to be established in all the nine provinces. It was recently reported that special crime investigation bureaus are to be set up covering all the provinces to minimise crime. When queried by The Daily Morning about the progress of establishing these bureaus, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala said that the process of equipping them is currently underway. more..

Mar 14 (DM) People cannot expect anything from this govt, as it has placed a monkey in front of everything else, SLPP former MP Thisakutti Arachchi said. He said that no road developments or constructions have taken place in rural villages, no state buildings have been constructed, no bus stands have been built, no measures have been taken to extend the expressways, no carpet roads have been laid, and no progress has been made in port development or Colombo Port City more..

Mar 15 (DM) Although belatedly, we raise this question for two reasons, firstly, the interrogating style of the programme which is conducted with no holds barred, aggressively and without caring who the interviewee is, seemed to be too much for Wickremesinghe. Secondly, he is one of the SL politicians with skeletons in the cupboard as clearly evident at the interview. The interview conducted in London some weeks ago before an audience visibly hostile to Wickremesinghe was aired on more..

Mar 15 (DM) For instance after a US underworld figure Sam Giancana, was subpoenaed to appear before the Church Committee on Assassinations in 1975, Giancana was found murdered at home; killed with a wound at the back of his head, and five bullet holes around his mouth. A message, and warning to others not to talk. So closely connected was Giancana to US political circles, according to some sources he and the Mafia were involved in helping elect one candidate contesting US prez more..

Mar 15 (CT) “Even though this job doesn’t know a gender role, as women we are tasked with the challenge of balancing our career and our personal life. As a mother of two I can’t be worrying whether my children are fed or safe while balancing a flight in different whether conditions. Whether you are a man or a woman you need an absolute concentration and peace of mind once you settle in the cockpit”, says Captain Madini more..

Mar 15 (CT) Batalanda Commission Report is a catalogue of corrosive evil induced and encouraged by a monstrously powerful Cabinet Mister. The report has urged the then Prez Chandrika Kumaratunga “to consider inviting Representatives of the People (such as MPs) to discuss these matters in detail, and propose a set of guidelines, applicable to politicians and Law Enforcements Officers, in their conduct during extraordinary situations, where there is a serious threat to peace and public order.” more..

Mar 15 (DM) The national people’s power will win all 17 local authorities in the Jaffna district and form administrations was the confident assertion of Ramalingam Chandrasekar in Jaffna on Thursday (13). The Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic and Ocean resources stated so while replying to questions by Jaffna journalists. The minister was at the elections office in Jaffna to pay the deposits for candidates contesting the forthcoming local authority polls. more..

Mar 15 (TM) In an effort to address the growing issue of desertion within the SL military, the tri-forces, comprising the Army, Navy, and Air Force, have arrested over 600 deserters in a nationwide operation. The crackdown began on 22 Feb to maintain discipline and address the potential risks posed by individuals who have abandoned their posts. Ministry of Defence Spokesperson Col. Nalin Herath provided more..

Mar 15 (ST) Let me begin today’s discussion with a preamble. SL economy usually has natural instincts to grow at 3–4% rate a year. If the weather conditions are good, the agriculture sector can perform well, although there are unresolved multiple issues in that sector. The main export industries such as textile and tea will do their part as they have been doing so during the past 30-40 years. If there are no major world market disruptors, import and export trade will remain calm more..

Mar 15 (ST) They were waiting at the gate for him. And, as Aldoris, the choon-paan karaya, came down the lane in his tuk-tuk filled with breakfast goodies, the trio rubbed their stomachs to show their regular baker that they were indeed hungry. “Hari…..samavenna mata poddak parakku wuna (Well…sorry if I got a bit late),” he said, while handing out maalu paans, the favourite of the trio. “Aldoris, oyata ahunada sL videsha seva niyukthi karyanshayata viruddawa chodhana more..

Mar 15 (Island) There seems to be no end in sight to the ongoing crime wave. Hardly a day passes without an underworld shooting incident reported from some part of the country. The govt and the police boast of special operations to neutralize organized criminal groups, but underworld hitmen continue to strike at will. The latest victim of gun violence is a former prison officer. He was shot dead at his home on Poya Day. Sridath Dhammika, 61, had served as a Superintendent at Boossa more..

Mar 15 (CT) If there is a ubiquitous scene that a fellow South Asian visitor to SL, especially the cosmopolitan capital of Colombo, would take home on the pre-dawn scene, it would be the street-corner bakery. Long after the British colonial rulers left the country, more and more Sri Lankans still seem hooked on the European continental breakfast of bread-toast and canned fruit juice. If milk were to replace fruit juice, again, it comes in sachets and bottles – often carrying the stamp of a NZ or more..

Mar 15 (ST) It took nearly two centuries for a community of workers, brought into the country then known as Ceylon from India by the British Raj, to toil in plantations under treacherous conditions in the upcountry region, to assert their own new identity—the Malayaga Tamils—together with socio-economic and political rights for a dignified life. Term Malayagam denotes the mountainous upcountry region where more..

Mar 15 (SO) As Sri Lanka prepared to celebrate International Women’s Day yesterday, Govt announced a new initiative aimed at ensuring women’s safety on public transport. Recognising harassment in buses and trains as a common occurrence, National Transport Commission (NTC) Chairperson Dr. Dileepa Witharana declared March 5 as a dedicated day to address the issue and introduce measures to prevent such incidents. Dr. Witharana said that the NTC has launched more..

Mar 15 (Island) The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) which has been entrusted by the Carter Centre USA to enlighten aspirant female political leaders in SL on digital hygiene and digital security to help them counter technology-based violence which has emerged as a serious threat, commenced their Northern province programme on International Women’s Day, 08 March, with the participation of 35 aspiring female political leaders. During 3-day residential training programme, more..

Mar 15 (ST) State sector doctors took their grievances about allowances to another senior minister on Thursday. GMOA met with Minister Vijitha Herath, to discuss their concerns. However Deputy Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni, questioned why the GMOA had sought intervention from external actors. “They have previously met with UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sarvajana Balawegaya’s Dilith Jayaweera and more..

Mar 15 (FT) A special Iftar ceremony was held yesterday evening at Temple Trees in commemoration of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The event was graced by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The event was attended by a significant number of Islamic religious leaders and devotees, and it was held with a strong emphasis on Islamic religious traditions. Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih, delivered the welcome speech, while Deputy Minister Muneer Mulaffer, also addressed more..

Mar 15 (FT) The CoPF, this week reviewed the proposed increase in excise duty on cigarettes. The meeting chaired by Parliamentarian Dr. Harsha de Silva on Tuesday where officials from the Finance Ministry presented the steps taken under Section 3 of the Excise (Special Provisions) Act No. 13 of 1989. The Committee emphasised that the duty increases could not be approved without concrete data and called for justification of the measures taken at the previous meeting. more..

Mar 15 (DN) Opener Avishka Fernando played a superb knock of 144 as the Colombo team scored 374 for 7 at the close of the first day’s play in the National Super League four-day match against Jaffna at the Galle Cricket Stadium yesterday. Colombo, led by Charith Asalanka, decided to bat first. Openers Avishka Fernando and Navod Paranavithana put on a solid 75-run partnership, setting a strong platform for their team. Paranavithana was the first to be dismissed, more..

Mar 15 (Island) Sri Lanka will field three athletes including sprinter Chamod Yodasinghe and hurdler Kaveesha Bandara for next week’s World Indoor Athletics Championship which will be held in Nanjing, China. Sprinters Chamod Yodasinghe and Kalinga Kumarage and hurdler Kaveesha Bandara are the only SL athletes to have reached qualifying standards for the global event according to Sri Lanka Athletics. It is the first time all three athletes are competing at a global event at senior level. more..

Mar 15 (CT) National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA), which came under scrutiny in 2023 after the COPE exposed administrative irregularities — including corrupt officials allegedly granting mining rights to associates and engaging in direct mining projects with third parties, resulting in lost govt tax revenue — is once again embroiled in controversy. A parcel of gemstones valued at Rs 250 million, weighing 21,096 carats, more..

Mar 15 (FT) Colombo stock market managed to eke out a gain yesterday though closing negatively for the week and losing 3.8% so far in March fuelled by profit taking. ASPI yesterday gained by 30 points or 0.1% and the active S&P SL20 by 15 points or 0.3%. For the week the ASPI was down by 1.6% and S&P SL20 by 1.5%. Turnover yesterday was Rs. 792.5 million, far below the average of Rs. 1.7 billion for the week. Colombo bourse experienced a dull trading session with the ASPI on a standstill, more..

Mar 15 (IANS) West Indies Masters came up with a clinical all-round performance to register a six-run win over SL Masters in the second semifinal of the International Masters League (IML) 2025 and set up a date with the Sachin Tendulkar-led India Masters in Sunday’s title clash. West Indies rode on a half-century by Denesh Ramdin and an equally effective knock from Brian Lara, before Tino Best’s 4-wicket burst to overcome the Sri Lankans at the Shaheed Singh Int'l Stadium here on Friday. more..

Mar 15 (AD) At least one person has been reported dead following a shooting incident at Idamthota in Ambalangoda Police Division. The shooting had occurred at around 6.30 p.m. this evening (14) and the victim succumbed to injuries while being admitted to Balapitiya Hospital for treatment for gunshot wounds, according to Ambalangoda Police. The deceased has been identified as a 45-year-old resident of Idamthota, Ambalangoda. The motive for the shooting remains unknown, and more..

Mar 15 (NW) Early this morning (14), a lorry traveling from Meerigama towards Kurunegala on the Central Expressway encountered a mechanical failure near the Nagalagamuwa area. While the stationary lorry was being inspected on the left side of the road, another fisher lorry traveling in the same direction collided with it, causing an accident. The driver and assistant of the fisher lorry sustained injuries. As another motorist stopped to assist and prepare to transport the injured individuals more..

Mar 15 (EN) Sri Lanka will speed up applications to register more suppliers, boosting competition, ending slow registration of drugs, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. There has been a backlog of files, which were not cleared in time by the National Medical Regulation Authority, which was reducing competition. “There was a problem regarding the registration of suppliers,” he said. “There were processes to speed up more..